PNG stand-off over speaker's funds

Papua New Guinea's government corruption watchdog has drawn up an arrest warrant for the Speaker of Parliament amid allegations over missing development funds.

But the Taskforce Sweep chairman, Sam Koim, says Jeffery Nape is yet to be served with the arrest warrant as investigations continue into his alleged misappropriation of about two and a half million US dollars.

Mr Koim says the arrest warrant was prepared on January the 25th after investigators had trouble getting access to documentation that they say is relevant to the case.

But he says the team has yet to decide whether to use it.

The Post Courier reports the missing money is from a larger grant that Mr Nape sought from the government in 2009 for an agriculture project in Chimbu Province.

Mr Nape is reported as saying the missing funds were never released to him and that he is ready to face the taskforce at any time.